Too close to call
BOSTON – All close games come down to a pitch or a play or a swing, although sometimes where a man is standing can make the difference.
When the Seattle Mariners lost to the Boston Red Sox, 3-2, on Sunday, certainly one of the moments that changed the game came in the first inning – when first base umpire Rick Reed was screened on a close play at first. “I’m not going to comment on that, I think everybody saw it,” manager Mike Hargrove said. “And we had chances that we didn’t take advantage of. I will say this, though: I thought about that a play a couple of times in the eighth and ninth innings.”
For the third time in as many days, the Red Sox and Mariners found themselves in a pitching duel where hits were hard to come by and runs even more scarce.
Boston’s Josh Beckett and Seattle’s Jarrod Washburn dominated the opposing lineup, and the most runs anyone scored in an inning – two – came in the first inning, helped along by the play at first base.
In breezy Fenway Park, Washburn walked the first batter he faced, and the second, Mark Loretta, doubled to put runners at second and third base. Manny Ramirez grounded out to push home one run, but with two outs, Loretta was still at third base. Mike Lowell then grounded to third base. Adrian Beltre fielded it cleanly and threw to first, in plenty of time – but wide right. Richie Sexson came off the bag toward the plate side, took the throw and slapped a tag on Lowell.
Reed signaled ‘safe’, and the second Boston run scored.
Washburn jumped in anger.
“I don’t usually react on the field like that, and 99 percent of the time the umpires get the calls right,” Washburn said. “Rick’s view must have been blocked. Richie tagged him, and it wasn’t a light tag, either.”
Sexson couldn’t believe the call – at the time or a few hours later.
“Everyone makes mistakes,” he said. “It was worse because it allowed a run to score. I tagged him pretty good, that’s what stunned me.”
Seattle was down, 2-0.
“I screwed up walking the first guy,” Washburn said. “I abandoned my cut fastball early, because in the wind it was cutting too much. By the time I adjusted, we were in trouble.”
From the first inning on, the game was played almost even – and neither team could muster much of an attack. Washburn allowed three hits in his six innings, but uncharacteristically walked four. Beckett gave up six hits in seven innings.
The Mariners tied the game in the third inning, when Jose Lopez tripled home Ichiro Suzuki, who’d reached base on a one-out error. Raul Ibanez singled Lopez home.
Beckett, Mike Timlin and closer Jonathon Papelbon held them there.
Washburn couldn’t do the same.
“I had a wild spell in the fourth inning,” he said, shaking his head. “Control issues hurt me.”
After Jason Varitek singled, a Washburn wild pitch moved the runner up a base. With one out, Justin Mohr walked and – on the next pitch – Washburn hit Wily Mo Pena to load the bases.
No. 9 hitter Alex Gonzalez singled home a run, but Washburn got the next two batters without allowing more damage, and Boston led 3-2.
The Mariners had a point-blank chance to tie in the sixth inning, when Ibanez tripled with one out to bring up Sexson and Beltre. Beckett simply pushed them aside, striking out both men.
“I got to 3-2 and he spun his best curve up there and I missed it,” Sexson said. “I just didn’t get it.”
Seattle’s only other easy opportunity came in the seventh, when Kenji Johjima singled and took second base on a passed ball. Beckett got Jeremy Reed on a ground ball, Yuniesky Betancourt on a fly ball.